Railwya-joint.



Patented nec. ls, |899. SMITH.

[NVE/V701? ZWZJJ 611113? @da ftorlley a@ NMN J CHARLES SMITH, OF SOUTH SIDE, BERMUDA.

RAILWAY-JOINT SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 639,453; dated December 19, 1899. Application led September 6, 1899. Serial No.`729,630. (No model.)

To all r11/wm t may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES SMITH, a British subject, residing at South Side, Smiths parish, Bermuda, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway-Joints, of which the following is a specification.

Myinvention relates to railway-joints; and its object is to provide an inexpensive and eifective device for rmly connecting the abutting ends of railway-rails, which will be concealed within the rails, thus avoiding the usual fish-plates, bolts, and nuts.

A further object of the inventionis to provide a joint which will allow for expansion and contraction of the rails and reduce the noise and jar of travel to the minimum.

The construction of the improvement and its novel features will be fullydescribed hereinafter and dened in the appended claims, in connection with the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specification, and in whichn Figure lis a central vertical section of the ends of two rails connected by my improved fastening, and Fig. 2 is a vertical transverse section on the line2 2 of Fig. l.

The reference-numerals l and 2 designate the ends of the rails, each formed with a mortise 3 of the cross-sectional contour shown in Fig. 2.

4 designates a key or tenen which is made slightly shorter than the combined length of the two mortises to allow the rails to expand and contract.

Upon the key or tenon 4, between the ends of the rails, is arranged a rubber washer or gasket 5, which maybe of the cross-sectional shape of the rail, as shown, to ll the space between the adjacent rail ends, or of any other form desired. p This washer is formed with an opening corresponding in shape to that of the tenen or key.

The top and bottom edges 6 and 7 of the tenen or key are beaded or 'thickened to strengthen or reinforce the same, although this feature may be omitted and the key made of any suitable form in cross-section.

It will be obvious that the key or tenen serves to maintain the rails in proper alinement and hold them together firmly.

The washer, which may be of hard rubber or any other suitable yielding material, serves as an 'effective sound-deadener without affecting the expansion and contraction of the rails. If desired, the key may be secured by transverse bolts passing through them and through the rail ends; but this supplemental fastening will not generally be required, since the spikes which secure the rails to. the ties will suffice for the purpose of holding and bracing the rail ends.

I would have it understood that I reserve the right to make all such changes in form and construction as may properly fall within the scope of the appended claims.

l. The combination with railway-rails each formed at its end with a mortise or recess, of a key or tenon extending in=to said mortises or recesses, and a yielding Washer on said key or tenon between the ends of the rails.

2. The combination with railway-rails, each formed at its end with a longitudinal mortise or recess, of a key or tenen extending into said mortises or recesses, and formed at its upperand lower edges with reinforcing-beads, and a yielding washer on said key or tenen between the ends of the rails.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES SMITH.

Witnesses:

R. D. WHITTER,

A. H. ABELL. 

